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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bat — the animal
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. sharp — clever
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. last — to go on
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. rock — music
  13. last — finally
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. last — final
  22. plane — a tool
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. plane — in geometry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com